Self-closing bookrack



Dec. 19, 1950 D. s. KUDRIKOFF 2,534,456

SELF-CLOSING BOOKRACK Filed Feb. 6, 1948 INVENTOR. Dimh y S. Kuorikof/ ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE d-Q v 2,534,456 s i SELF-CLOSING BOOKRACK e Dimitry Stephan Ku'drikofl, Scranton, Pa. i I M.

Application February 6, 1948, Serial No. 6, 585 v 3 Clain s.' (01. 211-43) racks. l An object of the invention is the provision ofa book rack in. which an elongated base member has a dovetail slot running longitudinally thereof with spaced book ends rising above the base member and mounted on slides that are dovetailed in the slot in the base, a spring connecting the opposed faces of the slides together and cooperating with compression springs pressing on I 4. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the uppe faces of the slides are disposed slightly below-the the outer faces of the slides to move the slides and attached book ends towards the center of the base member.

A further object of the invention is the pr vision of a book rack in which book ends slidable in an elongated base member are urged constantly and uniformly towards the center of the base member so that when a book is removed from the rack the book ends will be moved automatically toward each other for repositioning the y hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my book rack with parts broken away,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section through the center of the book rack, and

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings l designates an elongated rectangular base member having a longitudinal undercut groove II. The side walls and end walls of the base member rising from a peripheral flange l2 are beveled.

Slides l3 and M are identical in construction and are dovetailed in the undercut groove H in the base. The cross-sectional area of the slides is slightly less than the cross-sectional area of the groove l I so that said slides may move freely in said roove. Each inner end of the slides is provided with a pocket l5 to receive an end of a coiljlspring l6. Each end of the spring is provided with an eye to receive a pin I! forced through a vertical passage in the slides I3 and horizontal plane passing through the top of the base member so that books l8 restingon the top of said base will not interfere with the free move.- ment of the slides. The spring I6 tends at all times to pull the slides towards each other.

Stops are secured at 2| to the bottom 22 of the base member I 0. The stops are triangular shaped so that they will fit neatly into the inclined side walls 23 of the groove ll (Figure 3).. These stops are located midway between the op,- posite ends of the groove H for aiding in main} taining the books centered aswill be explained presently. I

Book. ends 25 are, mounted vertically on the tops of the slides l3 and M with the inner faces thereof in line with'the inner or opposed faces of said slides; A bracket 26 is secured at right angles to each book endin any approved manner. Screws 2'! received by countersunk pockets 28 in the slides secure the brackets and likewise the book ends t said slides. The book ends being cut from a flat piece of wood or other suitable materials may assume various decorative forms. It will be noted from Figure 3 that the bottoms of the book ends are cut-away at 30 where they extend over the upper edges of the inclined side walls 23 so that the slides I3 and I4 may move freely in the slot ll without frictional engagement between the book ends and the said side walls.

The outer ends of the slot I i are closed by stop blocks 3| after the slides l3 and I4 have been positioned within said slot. These blocks have substantially the same cross-sectional area and shape of the slot II and are fitted neatly therein. Nails or screws 32 are employed for securing the blocks to the base member In with the inner ends of the blocks being spaced from the outer ends of the-associated slides l3 and I4.

A plurality of telescoping barrels are disposed between the outer end of each slide and the inner end of each stop block 3! for housing a compression spring 33. An end barrel 34 of greater diameter than the other barrels 35, 36 and 31 has a closed end seated in a pocket 38 in the stop block. The barrels successiveli fit into each other. Barrels and 36 have respective cooperating flanges 40 and 4! to prevent separation of said barrels. The barrels 36 and 3] have similarly arranged flanges to prevent separation of said barrels. Each barrel 3'! has a closed end 42 engaging the outer end of a slide. The compression springs 33 within the telescoping bar- N no weight will be placed on the slides.

rels extend said barrels and force the slides toward the center stops 20 while the spring Vi pulls the slides toward each other.

The operation of my device is as-follows: When books are placed between the book ends 25 after said ends have been spread apart and released, the compression springs 33 acting in conjunction with the weaker spring It will cause the book ends to adjust themselves so that the books will be disposed at opposite sides of the center stops 2!] with one book located over said stops. If a book is withdrawn from the rack the positions of the book ends will be adjusted automatically by the springs I6 and 33.

The lower ends of the books will be supported by the upper edges of the side flanges 23 so that Thus said slides will move freely at all times in the longitudinal groove II in the base member 19. What I claim:

"TL-A book rack comprising an elongated base member provided with an under out longitudinal groove, a air of spaced slides dovetailed in the groove, a spring connecting the inner ends of the slides together, a closure for each end of the groove, a compression spring between each 010- sure and the adjacent end of a slide, a stop on the base located midway between the ends of the groove and between the slides, a book end rising from the inner end of each slide, a reinforcing means connecting each book end to the top of 'aslide, the top edges of the side walls of the groove being in a horizontal plane disposed above a plane passing through the tops of the slides ,flndforminga support for books, said springs tending at all times to urge the slides and at- }tachedbook ends towards each other.

.1 "2 A book rack comprising an elongated base, a pairof slides positioned in end to end spaced 'llation with respect to each other and mounted 4 on said base for sliding movement relative to each other, resilient means interposed between the facing ends of said slides and fixedly secured thereto for normally urging said slides toward each other, means interposed between the facing ends of said slides for limiting the movement of said slides toward each other, a book end carried by each of said slides, and a resilient means positioned adjacent each end of said base and having an end fixedly secured to the latter and having the other end bearing against the other end of the slide adjacent thereto for urging the slides and book ends toward each other. 3. 'A book rack comprising an elongated base, a pair of, slides positioned in end to end spaced relation with respect to each other and mounted on said base for sliding movement relative to each other, resilient means interposed between the facing ends of said slides and fixedly secured thereto for normally urging said slides toward each other, a book end carried by'each of said slides, and a resilient means positioned adjacent each end of said base and. having an end fixedly secured to the latter and having the other end bearing againstthe other end of the slide adjacent thereto for urging the slides and book ends toward each other.

DIMITRY STEPHAN KUDRIKOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: x

UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Dec. 20, 1938 

